Korean J Urol.
1994 May;35(5):548-555.
Clinical Experience of Adrenal Tumors Treated by Surgical Management
- Affiliations
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- 1Departments of Urology, Medical School, Chonbuk National University, Chonju, Korea.
Abstract
- Our experience of surgical management with 21 adrenal tumors between September 1980 and February 1993 is presented. The patients comprised 17 functioning adrenal tumors (5 primary aldosteronisms, 4 Cushing's syndromes, 6 pheochromocytomas and 2 neuroblastomas) and 4 nonfunctioning adrenal tumors (1 adrenal cyst, 1 adrenal cortical carcinoma, 1 adrenal adenoma and 1 metastatic adrenal carcinoma). The 21 patients in these series included 3 men and 18 women. Age was ranged from 11 years to 68 years at the time of presentation (average 35.8 years). Nine tumors occurred in the left adrenal gland, eleven in right and one in bilateral. Surgical approaches to the adrenal gland were transperitoneal in 11 cases and extraperitoneal in 10 cases. Among 17 functioning adrenal tumors, 13 cases underwent unilateral adrenalectomy, and 3 cases underwent unilateral adrenalectomy with nephrectomy. One case of pheochromocytoma underwent bilateral adrenalectomy. Among 4 non-functioning adrenal tumors, one case underwent unilateral adrenalectomy and 3 cases underwent unilateral adrenalectomy with nephrectomy. Operative complications occurred in 2 cases. One case with pneumothorax and the other case with electrolyte abnormality. The use of advanced radiographic and laboratory procedures results in the refinement of diagnosis and localization of tumors, enabling better surgical management of adrenal tumors. But some of underlying diseases should be differentiated by pathologic confirmation.
